Donald Trump was raised in the Presbyterian church, and in recent years continued to identify as Presbyterian despite not holding membership in a Presbyterian congregation or regularly attending worship. One week ago today Trump attended worship at the non-denominational International Church of Las Vegas. A few days after this experience, Trump changed his religious affiliation from Presbyterian to non-denominational Christian. Rather than announcing this shift in a televised event, Trump Read More …
Discipleship
Practice Christian Kissing (#1894)
Passage for reflection: 1 Peter 5:14 Churches are some of the friendliest and most welcoming places around. Whether navigating as newcomer or returning as a regular, people expect to receive a warm welcome. In reality, first-time experiences fall short of the ideal more often than not. When I visited one of the fastest growing congregations in the country I stood alone in the lobby for an extended period of time before and after worship watching people pass me by without receiving a single Read More …
Staying Put (#1893)
Passage for Reflection: Jonah 2:1-10 Jonah’s time in the belly of a whale – or, more likely, just a big fish – is one of the best-known stories from the minor prophets. The story is simple enough for even the youngest listener to picture yet nuanced enough to keep the serious scholar engaged. How did Jonah find himself in such a predicament? What’s it like to live for such a long time in such a strange situation? The top story of 2020 is the global pandemic of COVID-19. As this story Read More …
Welcoming Newcomers to Virtual Worship (#1884)
Warm Welcome Nearly every congregation thinks it provides worship services that are warm and welcoming. In reality, effectively welcoming and engaging newcomers is a growing edge for most congregations. While I recognized this challenge during my years in congregational ministry, I only began to grasp how widespread the issue was more recently. During the five years leading up to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I visited more than 50 congregations in the greater Dallas-Fort Read More …
Should Churches Offer in Person Worship? (#1883)
Perhaps no issue is as controversial in church life right now as the question of whether or not to offer in person worship. Yesterday, Pew Research published the findings of their survey of 10,211 U.S. adults conducted July 13 to 19, 2020. Notably 7 of 10 (70%) respondents who regularly attend worship believe the operating status of their congregation should be open. Readiness Varies by Group Opinions on whether churches should be open (like normal or with modifications) or closed Read More …
10 In Person Worship Experiences from 2020 (#1880)
It has been over four months since I last attended a worship service alongside hundreds of other people. And, I have no idea when I might next have a similar - recognizing in a COVID-19 world that any future in person experience will be unlike what I knew prior to COVID-19 - experience. Today, I'm sharing ten images of worship experiences I had earlier this year at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth and Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas. (All images were originally Read More …
Not Comfortable Returning to In Person Worship (#1877)
According to a June 2020 survey conducted by the American Enterprise Institute nearly 2 out of 3 Americans (64%) are not comfortable returning to in person worship at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic. Group Differences Interestingly, this research found that white Evangelical Protestants are the most ready to return to in person worship. The percentage who responded that they were either somewhat comfortable or very comfortable attending a worship service in person by religious Read More …
Teaching Sunday School in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1874)
I've taught dozens of adult Sunday school classes over the years, mostly during the twenty years I served in congregational ministry. Since joining First Presbyterian Church last May, I've taught a few adult Sunday School classes as a volunteer. All of these experiences were in a pre-COVID-19 world. And, all classes were taught in classrooms, libraries, sanctuaries, fellowship halls, or other physical spaces on the campus of a local congregation. Online Sunday School First Read More …
Choosing a “Good” Religion (#1871)
How does one choose a "good" religion? Over the years I've heard many detailed explanations for why one should choose a specific religion, but far fewer attempts to provide a framework for choosing a religion. In Tough Questions, Honest Answers: Faith and Religion for 21st Century Explorers (Fortress Press, 2020), Cameron Harder devotes a chapter to the question "How do we choose a "good" religion." After sharing about his research and noting his personal bias that "the community be Read More …
40 New Online Worship Experiences (#1864)
Online worship is what many are calling the new normal. Earlier today I asked my Facebook friends to share links to the online services they planned to participate in today. I was overwhelmed by the response! The following list is comprised of the first forty replies I received that included online English language services available on Facebook, YouTube, or the congregation's website. While I recognize that many congregations provide worship on multiple platforms, Read More …